カウンセリング

2012年5月17日木曜日

Mental Health in Japan

What You Should Know About Mental Health in Japan and How to Find Help [Podcast Interview]

As expats, sometimes life can get stressful. Really stressful. Perhaps to the point of needing help in the form of counseling. But how do you get that kind of help in a foreign country, especially if the country's native language isn't English, or your native language?

I wondered about this myself when I was dealing with a bout of labrynthitis a couple years ago and the doctors kept telling me the reason I felt so bad was due to a mental issue. They were wrong, although I suppose it was technically, "all in my head." However, it got me thinking, what if I ever needed counseling here in Japan? Would I be able to find help? Someone that would understand me and not form opinions based on one culture?

So I sought out answers from an expert: psychotherapist and clinical psychologist Andrew Grimes ofTokyo Counseling Services. We discussed a few different things, including:

The most common psychological issues expats in Japan experience

How the work culture in Japan affects emotional well-being

How counseling and psychotherapy are addressed in Japan versus western countries

How to find an English-speaking counselor if you don't live in Tokyo or another major city

What you should be aware of when preparing a move to Japan and ways you should prepare, especially if you have a family

Culture shock, when it happens, what it might look like and how to deal with it

Why getting out of the "expat bubble" sometimes can be good for your mental/emotional health

What mental health professionals in Japan have been doing to help the recovery process in Tohoku

Today we're doing something a little different with this interview - you'll find it below in audio form rather than text (although hopefully I can get it transcribed eventually). It's my first audio interview, so you'll have to excuse the fact I'm not quite as talented as the Japan podcasters out there, but I think the content in this interview if insightful and worth a listen.

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自己紹介

Tokyo Counseling Services mental health counseling professionals are qualified JSCCP Clinical Psychologists licensed to practice in Japan. Every Psychotherapist at TCS holds the Japanese Certificate for Psychotherapy and is qualified and legitimately registered as a Psychotherapist by The Japan Federation for Psychotherapy. Our counselors provide individual counseling, couples counseling, marriage counseling and family counseling. group therapy and psychotherapy services.